Kyrgyzstan is our country

Kyrgyzstan

WRITTEN BY:

• Denis Sinor
• Edward Allworth

See Article History

Alternative Titles: Kirghizia, Kirgiz Soviet Socialist Republic, Kirgiziya, Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyz Respublikasy

Kyrgyzstan, country of Central Asia. It is bounded by Kazakhstan on the northwest and north, by China on the east and south, and by Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on the south and west. Most of Kyrgyzstan’s borders run along mountain crests. The capital is Bishkek (known from 1862 to 1926 as Pishpek and from 1926 to 1991 as Frunze).

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The Kyrgyz, a Muslim Turkic people, constitute more than half the population. The history of the Kyrgyz in what is now Kyrgyzstan dates at least to the 17th century. Kyrgyzstan, known under Russian and Soviet rule as Kirgiziya, was conquered by tsarist Russian forces in the 19th century. Formerly a constituent (union) republic of the U.S.S.R., Kyrgyzstan declared its independence on August 31, 1991.

KyrgyzstanEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Land

Relief

Kyrgyzstan is above all a mountainous country. At its eastern extremity, next to the Uighur Autonomous Region of Sinkiang, China, rises Victory (Pobedy) Peak, at 24,406 feet (7,439 metres) Kyrgyzstan’s highest peak. Mount Khan-Tengri (22,949 feet) is on the border with Kazakhstan. These mountains stand in the core of the Tien Shan system, which continues eastward into China. On the southern border lie the Kok Shaal-Tau, Alay, Trans-Alay (Zaalay), and Atbashi ranges.

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Rocky streambed in the Kyrgyz Range of the Tien Shan, near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.© David Tomlinson/NHPA

Tien Shan mountain chainPanoramic view of the Tien Shan mountain chain in Kyrgyzstan.© Michal Knitl/Shutterstock.com

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To the southwest are two great hollows, the Fergana Valley and another valley close to Mount Khan-Tengri. The latter valley is bounded by the westward-thrusting arms of the Kungey-Alatau and Terskey-Alatau ranges and contains Lake Ysyk (Issyk-Kul), whose clear deep waters are fed by the snow-covered peaks. The rugged mountain-and-basin structure of much of the country, and the high alpine plateau of the central and eastern regions, are separated from the Fergana Valley on the west by the Fergana Range, running southeast to northwest, which merges into the Chatkal Range. The Chatkal Range is linked to the Ysyk-Köl region by a final enclosing range, the Kyrgyz. The only other important lowlands in the country are the Chu and Talas river valleys in the north, with the capital, Bishkek, located in the Chu. The country’s lowland areas, though occupying only one-seventh of the total area, are home to most of its people.

Ysyk, LakeLake Ysyk (Issyk-Kul) is a slightly salty body of water located in northeastern Kyrgyzstan.